UN nuclear watchdog pulls its inspectors out of Iran after Tehran suspends cooperation

UN nuclear watchdog inspectors left Iran earlier today, according to the agency, which calls for the resumption of its “indispensable monitoring” after the Islamic Republic officially suspended its cooperation.

The suspension came after last month’s 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict,” the IAEA says in a post on X.

“IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible,” it adds.

Iran officially suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog on Wednesday.

On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to suspend the cooperation.

Washington, which has been pressing Tehran to resume the negotiations that were interrupted by Israel’s resort to military action on June 13, has hit out at the Iranian decision, calling it “unacceptable.”